4.3 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES 4.3.1 INTRODUCTION This resource section evaluates the potential environmental effects related to biological resources associated with implementation of PLAN Hermosa. The analysis includes a review of special-status species, sensitive habitats, wetlands, wildlife movement, and planning efforts associated with biological resources. Policies and implementation actions presented in the PLAN Hermosa Parks + Open Space Element intend to protect coastal and marine habitat resources by protecting and restoring these spaces that are fundamental components of Hermosa Beach’s environment. NOP Comments: No comments were received in response to the Notice of Preparation (NOP) addressing biological resources concerns. Comments included written letters and oral comments provided at the NOP scoping meeting. Reference Information: Information for this resource section is based on numerous sources, including the PLAN Hermosa Technical Background Report (TBR) and other publicly available documents. The TBR is included as Appendix C. 4.3.2 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING Appendix C-6 describes the vegetation, habitat, and wildlife in the planning area, including special-status species, sensitive habitats, and wetlands. A summary of that information is presented below. Vegetative Communities: The vegetative communities in the city include urban/developed, beach sand, and non-native/ornamental. Urban/developed land uses encompass the majority of the planning area. Urban/developed communities are classified as areas that have been heavily modified by humans, including roadways, existing buildings, and structures, as well as recreation fields, small parks, lawns, and other landscaped vegetation. Non-native/ornamental areas in the planning area include the Greenbelt, South Park, Valley Park, and a hillside west of the Marineland Mobilehome Park that runs northward through several residential parcels to 24th Street. These areas could be considered urban cover as they largely comprise non-native landscaped vegetation; however, CalVEG classifies them as non- native/ornamental. For the purposes of the TBR, they are separate from the urban/developed cover type. The entire length of the coastline in the planning area is characterized by sandy beach habitat, the beach sand habitat referenced above. This habitat is typically found between the intertidal zone and areas where vegetation becomes established, often forming dunes. These communities are described below and shown in Figure 4.3-1 (Vegetative Communities). Table 4.3-1 (Acreages of Vegetative Communities within the Coastal and Inland Zones) summarizes the acreages of each vegetative community within the Coastal Zone and the inland portion of the city. Special-Status Plants: Based on the results of the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) and the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) database searches of sensitive natural resources, the presence of special-status plants is highly unlikely. This is due to the extirpation or high modification of natural habitats in Hermosa Beach. The open space areas are routinely landscaped and frequented by human traffic. The beach is extremely disturbed, and no vegetated dune habitat remains. Figure 4.3-2 (Previously Recorded Occurrences of Special- Status Species) illustrates the special-status plants with the potential to occur in the planning area. City of Hermosa Beach PLAN Hermosa October 2016 Draft Environmental Impact Report 4.3-1 4.3 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES TABLE 4.3-1 ACREAGES OF VEGETATIVE COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE COASTAL AND INLAND ZONES Zone Vegetative Community Area (acres) Urban/Developed 343 Beach Sand 57 Coastal Non-Native/Ornamental 19 Total 419 Urban/Developed 479 Inland Non-Native/Ornamental 18 Total 497 Source: City of Hermosa Beach Special-Status Wildlife: Based on the database search results, two wildlife species have the potential to occur within the planning area. The California least tern (Sterna antillarum-bowni) is a federally endangered species and is state-listed as endangered. This species is a summer visitor that breeds along the Southern California coast from April to September. California least terns nest in colonies on beaches or islands cleared of vegetation (USFWS 2006). The nearest breeding colonies to the planning area are in Venice Beach and at the Port of Los Angeles (USFWS 2006). There are no records of this species nesting in the planning area; however, California least terns likely forage offshore. The western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) is a federally endangered species and a California species of special concern. Western snowy plover habitat is known to occur in Hermosa Beach. The habitat subunit stretches roughly 0.5 mile from 11th Street southward to 1st Street and totals approximately 27 acres. This subunit supports wintering flocks of snowy plover (USFWS 2012). Two special-status wildlife species (California least tern and western snowy plover) have the potential to occur in the beach habitats in the planning area, as shown in Table 4.3-3 (Special- Status Wildlife Species with Potential to Occur Within and Surrounding the Planning Area) and Figure 4.3-2. Marine Wildlife: Offshore resources of Santa Monica Bay include a rich diversity of migratory and resident species of mammals, birds, fishes, and invertebrates. Common coastal seabirds found foraging near the shore of Hermosa Beach include western (Aechmorphorus occidentalis) and Clark’s grebes (A. clarkii), cormorants (Phalacrocorax spp.), loons (Gavia spp.), California brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis), and gulls. Coastal birds are at their highest densities during the winter months. Mammal species found in the area include various cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), and sea otters. All marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Beach Sand and Intertidal Zone: Sandy beach habitat is typically found between the intertidal zone, the area between the low tide and high tide marks, and the area where terrestrial vegetation cover is established. Sandy beach habitats can often form dunes, which are hills of sand constructed either through aeolian (wind) or alluvial (water) transport. The beach habitat is heavily used for recreation and primarily barren, except for man-made structures such as nearby lifeguard towers or volleyball courts. Occasionally kelp wrack collects on the beach, which is then removed by tractor. Beached kelp wrack can provide a food source for invertebrates and provides cover for numerous organisms that inhabit the sand of the intertidal zone. These organisms in turn act as a food source for, and attract, various species of shorebirds such as sanderling (Calidris alba), western sandpiper (Calidris maudi), least sandpiper (Calidris minutilla), PLAN Hermosa City of Hermosa Beach Draft Environmental Impact Report October 2016 4.3-2 4.3 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES and willet (Tringa semipalmata), as well as various species of gull (Larus spp.). The beach may also provide habitat for special-status species. The state and federally listed western snowy plover is known to winter on the shores of the city, though nesting within the city has not been recorded since 1949. The nearest breeding colony to Hermosa Beach is located at Bolsa Chica in Orange County (City of Hermosa Beach 2015). The intertidal zone plays an important role in coastal ecology, and sand beaches are among the most extensive coastal habitats. Sand beaches and the organisms that utilize them are subjected to a wide variety of physical instability, causing this habitat to generally be less diverse than other environments, but the beaches provide foraging and breeding habitat for a variety of species including shorebirds. Organisms occupying intertidal sand beaches are usually limited by abiotic factors such as tidal height, exposure to wave action, and the composition of the sediment. Dominant species include amphipods (Synchelidium spp.), polychaete worms (Nerine cirratulus and Euzonus mucronata), and isopods (Excirolana chiltoni). Zonation patterns for intertidal sand beach assemblages are less distinct than rocky intertidal communities. Small beach hoppers (Orchestoidea sp.) and kelp flies (Coelopa vanduzeei) are abundant in clumps of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) cast up on the beach at the high tide line (City of Hermosa Beach 2015). Dominant fishes that use the intertidal zone include small active plankton feeders such as northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) and topsmelt (Atherinops affinis), roving substrate feeders such as the barred surfperch (Amphistichus argenteus), and flatfishes such as juvenile California halibut (Paralichthys californicus). Other fishes that migrate through the surf zone include yellowfin croaker (Umbrina roncador) and spotfin croaker (Roncador stearnsii), and beach spawners such as California grunion (Leuresthes tenuis) are also expected to occur (City of Hermosa Beach 2015). Sensitive Natural Communities: Two habitats (southern coastal bluff scrub and southern dune scrub) located in the planning area were identified in the CNDDB query as locally sensitive habitats. Southern coastal bluff scrub occurs south of the planning area along the bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Southern dune scrub occurs north of the planning area in the El Segundo dunes. Neither habitat is present in or located adjacent to the planning area. City of Hermosa Beach PLAN Hermosa October 2016 Draft Environmental Impact Report 4.3-3 4.3 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES FIGURE 4.3-1 VEGETATIVE